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%\)z IHtberstiic literature Series 

Horace E. Scudder, Supervising Editor 

With Introductions, Notes, Historical Sketches, and Biographical 
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1. Longfellow's Evangeline. *tt 

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SOje Ktoersfae ^Literature Scries? 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 

■ | 

TOLD 0\^R AGAIN 

V ' A '» 


BY 

/ 

HORACE E. SCUDDER 



HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY 

Boston : 4 Park Street ; New York : 11 East Seventeenth Street 
Chicago : 378-388 Wabash Avenue 

ftiticrjfitie Cambn&je 




38183 



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Uttiv«r«d t* 

OflDtK DIVISION, 

SEP 6 1900 


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Copyright, 1899, 1900, 

By HORACE E. SCUDDER. 

All rights reserved. 

74354 



The Riverside Press , Cambridge , Mass., JJ. S. A. 
Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Company. 



PREFACE 


This little book follows the general design of 
The Booh of Fables and The Booh of Folh 
Stories . Literature, in one form or another, 
recognizes a number of stories which are current 
in many tongues, and may or may not have had 
a single origin. Such is the tale of William 
Tell. There are legends also which sprang up 
in the popular mind about some hero of real life, 
and, in ages which knew a marked separation 
between literate and illiterate, these stories, 
treasured by uncritical minds, came to express in 
supernatural terms facts and incidents which at 
other times would have been held fast in more 
exact biography. Such are the legends of “ St. 
Christopher ” and “ St. George and the Dragon.” 
Again, there are stories like “ The Bell of Jus- 
tice ” and “ The Image and the Treasure ” which 
were the invention of mediaeval preachers of a 
lively turn of imagination, and have found a place 
in such collections as Gesta Romanorum. 


IV 


PREFACE 


These tales, springing from various sources, 
have been taken up into literature of a more 
conscious sort, and have been made the basis of 
poem or story or drama. Their antiquity and 
their persistence mark them as corresponding 
to elemental conditions of human nature, and 
thus they have seemed to me peculiarly accept- 
able to the young, whose imagination is vivid 
and uncritical. But for the most part these 
stories are not accessible in a form easily appre- 
hended by young readers, and it has been my 
pleasure to tell them over again in simple lan- 
guage. Perhaps some of the readers of this 
book will find a keener pleasure in after-life 
when they take up, for example, Longfellow’s 
“ King Robert of Sicily,” or hear an opera by 
Wagner, because the story in each case had 
become familiar in childhood. 


H. E. S. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

"■ The Proud King 1 

-4St. George and the Dragon 11 

-The Bell of Justice 16 

How the Lame Man and the Blind Man helped Each 

Other 18 

- King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid .... 19 

- William Tell 22 

The Dog Gellert 26 

The Wandering Jew 28 

.The Legend of St. Christopher 31 

,How the Princess was beaten in a Race ... 37 

• Abraham and the Old Man 41 

-'The Image and the Treasure 43 

-The Flying Dutchman 46 

The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus 52 

* The Little Thief 61 

The Fair Melusina 65 

The Brazen Head 71 

The Monk and the Bird 78 









i 1 



THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


THE PROUD KING 

There was once a king who ruled over many 
lands ; he went to war, and added one country 
after another to his kingdom. At last he came 
to be emperor, and that is as much as any man 
can be. One night, after he was crowned em- 
peror, he lay awake and thought about him- 
self. 

“ Surely,” he said, “no one can be greater 
than I am, on earth or in heaven.” 

The proud king fell asleep with these 
thoughts. When he awoke, the day was fair, 
and he looked out on the pleasant world. 

“ Come,” he said to the men about him ; “ to- 
day we will go a-hunting.” 

The horses were brought, the dogs came 
leaping, the horns sounded, and the proud king 
with his courtiers rode off to the sport. They 
had hunted all the morning, and were now in a 
deep wood. In the fields the sun had beat upon 


2 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


their heads, and they were glad of the shade of 
the trees ; hut the proud king wished for some- 
thing more. He saw a lake not far off, and he 
said to his men : — 

“ Bide ye here, while I bathe in the lake and 
cool myself.” 

Then he rode apart till he came to the shore 
of the lake. There he got down from his horse, 
laid aside his clothes, and plunged into the cool 
water. He swam about, and sometimes dived 
beneath the surface, and so was once more cool 
and fresh. 

Now while the proud king was swimming 
away from the shore and diving to the bottom, 
there came one who had the same face and form 
as the king. He drew near the shore, dressed 
himself in the king’s clothes, mounted the 
king’s horse and rode away. So when the 
proud king was once more cool and fresh, and 
came to the place where he had left his clothes 
and his horse, there were no clothes to be seen, 
and no horse. 

The proud king looked about, but saw no 
man. He called, but no one heard him. The 
air was mild, but the wood was dark, and no 
sunshine came through to warm him after his 
cool bath. He walked by the shore of the lake 
and cast about in his mind what he should do. 


THE PROUD KING 


3 


“ I have it,” he cried at last. “ Not far from 
here lives a knight. It was but a few days ago 
that I made him a knight and gave him a castle. 
I will go to him, and he will be glad enough to 
clothe his king.” 

The proud king wove some reeds into a mat 
and bound the mat about him, and then he 
walked to the castle of the knight. He beat 
loudly at the gate of the castle and called for 
the porter. The porter came and stood behind 
the gate. He did not draw the bolt at once, but 
asked : — 

“ Who is there ? ” 

“ Open the gate,” said the proud king, “ and 
you will see who I am.” 

The porter opened the gate, and was amazed 
at what he saw. 

“ Who are you ? ” he asked. 

“ Wretch ! ” said the proud king ; “ I am the 
emperor. Go to your master. Bid him come 
to me with clothes. I have lost both clothes 
and horse.” 

“ A pretty emperor ! ” the porter laughed. 
“ The great emperor was here not an hour ago. 
He came with his court from a hunt. My mas- 
ter was with him and sat at meat with him. 
But stay you here. I will call my master. Oh, 


4 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


yes ! I will show him the emperor,” and the 
porter wagged his beard and laughed, and went 
within. 

He came forth again with the knight and 
pointed at the proud king. 

“ There is the emperor ! ” he said. " Look at 
him ! look at the great emperor ! ” 

“ Draw near,” said the proud king to the 
knight, “and kneel to me. I gave thee this 
castle. I made thee knight. I give thee now 
a greater gift. I give thee the chance to clothe 
thy emperor with clothes of thine own.” 

“ You dog ! ” cried the knight. “ You fool ! 
I have just ridden with the emperor, and have 
come back to my castle. Here! ” he shouted to 
his servants, “ beat this fellow and drive him 
away from the gate.” 

The porter looked on and laughed. 

“ Lay on well,” he said to the other servants. 
“It is not every day that you can flog an 
emperor.” 

Then they beat the proud king, and drove him 
from the gate of the castle. 

“ Base knight ! ” said the proud king. “ I 
gave him all he has, and this is how he repays 
me. I will punish him when I sit on my throne 
again. I will go to the duke who lives not far 


THE PROUD KING 


5 


away. Him I have known all my days. He will 
know me. He will know his emperor.” 

So he came to the gate of the duke’s great 
hall, and knocked three times. At the third 
knock the porter opened the gate, and saw be- 
fore him a man clad only in a mat of reeds, and 
stained and bleeding. 

“ Go, I pray you, to the duke,” said the proud 
king, “and bid him come to me. Say to him 
that the emperor stands at the gate. He has 
been robbed of his clothes and of his horse. 
Go quickly to your master.” 

The porter closed the gate between them, and 
went within to the duke. 

“ Your Grace,” said he, “ there is a madman 
at the gate. He is unclad and wild. He bade 
me come to you and tell you that he was the 
emperor.” 

“ Here is a strange thing indeed,” said the 
duke ; “ I will see it for myself.” 

So he went to the gate, followed by his ser- 
vants, and when the porter opened it there 
stood the proud king. The proud king knew 
the duke, but the duke saw only a bruised and 
beaten madman. 

“Do you not know me?” cried the proud 
king. “ I am your emperor. Only this morn- 


6 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


ing you were on the hunt with me. I left you 
that I might bathe in the lake. While I was in 
the water, some wretch took both my clothes 
and my horse, and I — I have been beaten by a 
base knight.” 

“ Put him in chains,” said the duke to his 
servants. “ It is not safe to have such a man 
free. Give him some straw to lie on, and some 
bread and water.” 

The duke turned away and went back to his 
hall, where his friends sat at table. 

“ That was a strange thing,” he said. 
“ There was a madman at the gate. He must 
have been in the wood this morning, for he told 
me that I was on the hunt with the emperor, 
and so I was ; and he told me that the emperor 
went apart to bathe in the lake, and so he did. 
But he said that some one stole the clothes and 
the horse of the emperor, yet the emperor rode 
back to us cool and fresh, and clothed and on 
his horse. And he said ” — And the duke 
looked around on his guests. 

“ What did he say ? ” 

“ He said that he was the emperor.” 

Then the guests fell to talking and laughing, 
and soon forgot the strange thing. But the 
proud king lay in a dark prison, far even from 


THE PROUD KING 


7 


the servants of the duke. He lay on straw, and 
chains bound his feet. 

“ What is this that has come upon me ? ” 
he said. “ Am I brought so low ? Am I so 
changed that even the duke does not know me ? 
At least there is one who will know me, let me 
wear what I may.” 

Then, by much labor, he loosed the chains 
that bound him, and fled in the night from the 
duke’s prison. When the morning came, he 
stood at the door of his own palace. He stood 
there awhile ; perhaps some one would open the 
door and let him in. But no one came, and the 
proud king lifted his hand and knocked; he 
knocked at the door of his own palace. The 
porter came at last and looked at him. 

“ Who are you ? ” he asked, “ and what do 
you want ? ” 

“ Do you not know me ? ” cried the proud 
king. u I am your master. I am the king. I 
am the emperor. Let me pass ; ” and he would 
have thrust him aside. But the porter was a 
strong man ; he stood in the doorway, and 
would not let the proud king enter. 

“ You my master ! you the emperor ! poor 
fool, look here ! ” and he held the proud king by 
the arm while he pointed to a hall beyond. 


8 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


There sat the emperor on his throne, and by his 
side was the queen. 

“ Let me go to her ! she will know me/’ cried 
the proud king, and he tried to break away from 
the porter. The noise without was heard in the 
hall. The nobles came out, and last of all came 
the emperor and the queen. When the proud 
king saw these two, he could not speak. He 
was choked with rage and fear, and he knew not 
what. 

“You know me!” at last he cried. “I am 
your lord and husband.” 

The queen shrank back. 

“Friends,” said the man who stood by her, 
“ what shall be done to this wretch ? ” 

“ Kill him,” said one. 

“ Put out his eyes,” said another. 

“ Beat him,” said a third. 

Then they all hustled the proud king out of 
the palace court. Each one gave him a blow, 
and so he was thrust out, and the door was shut 
behind him. 

The proud king fled, he knew not whither. 
He wished he were dead. By and by he came 
to the lake where he had bathed. He sat down 
on the shore. It was like a dream, but he knew 
he was awake, for he was cold and hungry and 


THE PROUD KING 


9 


faint. Then he knelt on the ground and beat 
his breast, and said : — 

“ I am no emperor. I am no king. I am a 
poor, sinful man. Once I thought there was 
no one greater than I, on earth or in heaven. 
Now I know that I am nothing, and there is no 
one so poor and so mean. God forgive me for 
my pride.” 

As he said this, tears stood in his eyes. He 
wiped them away and rose to his feet. Close by 
him he saw the clothes which he had once laid 
aside. Near at hand was his horse, eating the 
soft grass. The king put on his clothes; he 
mounted his horse and rode to his palace. As 
he drew near, the door opened and servants 
came forth. One held his horse ; another helped 
him dismount. The porter bowed low. 

“ I marvel I did not see thee pass out, my 
lord,” he said. 

The king entered, and again saw the nobles in 
the great hall. There stood the queen also, and 
by her side was the man who called himself 
emperor. But the queen and the nobles did not 
look at him ; they looked at the king, and came 
forward to meet him. 

This man also came forward, but he was clad 
in shining white, and not in the robes of the 


10 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


emperor. The king bowed his head before him. 

“ I am thy angel/’ said the man. “Thou 
wert proud, and made thyself to be set on high. 
Therefore thou hast been brought low. I have 
watched over thy kingdom. Now I give it back 
to thee, for thou art once again humble, and 
the humble only are fit to rule.” 

Then the angel disappeared. No one else 
heard his voice, and the nobles thought the king 
had bowed to them. So the king once more sat 
on the throne, and ruled wisely and humbly ever 
after. 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 


In the country of Libya in Asia Minor there 
was a town called Silene, and near the town was 
a pond, and this pond was the roving place of a 
monster dragon. Many times had great armies 
been sent to slay him, but never had they been 
able to overcome him. Instead, he had driven 
them back to the walls of the city. 

Whenever this dragon drew near the city 
walls, his breath was so full of poison that it 
caused the death of all who were within reach 
of it ; and so, to save the city, it was the custom 
to throw each day two sheep to feed the dragon 
and satisfy his hunger. So it went on, until 
not a sheep was left, and not one could be 
found in the neighborhood. 

Then the people took counsel, and they drew 
lots, and each day a man or a woman and one 
of their cattle were given to the dragon, so that 
he might not destroy the whole city. And their 
lot spared no one. Rich or poor, high or low, 
some one must each day be sacrified to the 
dreadful dragon. 


12 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


Now it came to pass one day that the princess 
herself was drawn by lot. The king was filled 
with horror. He offered in exchange his gold, 
his silver, and half his realm if she might but be 
spared. All he could obtain was a respite of 
eight days, in which to mourn the fate of the 
girl. At the end of that time, the people came 
to the palace and said : — 

“Why do you spare your daughter and kill 
your subjects ? Every day we are slain by the 
breath of the monster.” So the king knew he 
must part with his daughter. He dressed her 
in her richest apparel, and kissed her, and said : 

“ Ah, my dearest daughter ! what an end is 
this ! I had thought to die and leave you 
happy. I hoped to have invited princes to your 
wedding, and to have had music and dancing. 
I hoped to see your children, and now I must 
send you to the dragon.” 

The princess wept and clung to her father, 
and begged him to bless her. So he did, weep- 
ing bitterly, and she left him, and went, like 
those before her, to the lake where the dragon 
dwelt. 

Now these people of Libya were heathen, but 
in Cappadocia, not far away, was a Christian 
named George, and this George was a young 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 


13 


man of noble bearing. He heard in a vision 
that he was to go to Libya, and so he rode his 
horse toward the city, and he was hard by the 
lake, when he saw the princess standing alone, 
weeping bitterly. He asked her why she wept, 
and she only said : — 

“ Good youth, mount your horse again 
quickly and fly, lest you perish with me.” But 
George said to her : — 

“ Ho not fear. Tell me what you await, and 
why the vast crowd yonder are watching you.” 

Again she begged him to fly. 

“You have a kind and noble heart, sir, I 
perceive,” said she, “ yet fly, and at once.” 

“ Not so,” said George ; “ I will first hear 
your tale.” 

Then she told him all. 

“ Be of good courage,” said he. “ It was for 
this I was sent. In the name of Jesus Christ I 
will defend you.” 

“I do not know that name, brave knight,” 
said she. “ Ho not seek to die with me. It is 
enough that I should perish. You can neither 
save me nor yourself from this terrible dragon.” 
At that moment, the dragon rose with a great 
bellowing from the lake. “ Fly ! fly ! ” said the 
trembling princess. “ Fly, sir knight ! ” 


14 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


But George, nothing daunted, made the sign 
of the cross, and went forward boldly to meet 
the dragon, commending himself to God. He 
raised his spear, and flung it with all his force 
at the neck of the monster. So surely did the 
spear fly that it pierced the neck and pinned the 
dragon to the ground. 

Then he bade the princess take her girdle and 
pass it round the spear, and fear nothing. She 
did so, and the dragon rose and followed her 
like a docile hound. George led his horse and 
walked beside her, and thus they entered the city. 
The people began to flee when they saw the 
dread beast, but George stayed them. 

“ Fear not,” said he. “ This monster can no 
longer harm you. The Lord sent me to deliver 
you;” and so the multitude followed, and they 
came before the palace, where the king sat 
sorrowing. And when the king heard the 
mighty rejoicing, he came forth and saw his be- 
loved daughter, safe, with the dragon at her 
heels. 

Then George took his sword and smote off the 
dragon’s head, and all the people hailed him as 
their deliverer. But George bade them give 
glory to the Lord ; and he remained and taught 


ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON 15 

them the new faith, so that the king and the 
princess and all the people were baptized. And 
when George died he was called St. George, and 
it fell out finally that he became the patron saint 
of merry England. 


THE BELL OF JUSTICE 


A Roman emperor had the ill fortune to lose 
his sight. He wished that his people might not 
be the worse for this loss ; so he hung a bell in 
his palace, and a law was made that any one who 
had a wrong to be righted must pull the rope 
with his own hands and thus ring the bell. 
When the bell rang, a judge went down to hear 
the complaint and right the wrong. 

It chanced that a serpent had its home under 
the end of the bell-rope. Here it brought forth 
its young, and one day, when the little serpents 
could leave the place, it led them out for fresh 
air. While they were gone, a toad came and 
took a fancy to the place. Nor would he go 
away when the serpent came back. 

The serpent could not drive the toad out, so it 
coiled its tail about the bell-rope, and rang the 
hell of justice. Down came the judge, but saw 
nobody, and went back. Again the serpent 
rang the bell in the same way. 

This time the judge looked about with care 
and espied the serpent and the toad. He went 


THE BELL OF JUSTICE 17 

back to the emperor and told him what he had 
seen. 

“It is very clear/’ said the emperor, “ that 
the toad is in the wrong. Go down, drive out 
the toad, kill it, and let the serpent have its 
place again.” 

All this was done. Now, not many days after, 
as the emperor lay in his bed, the serpent came 
into the room, and toward the emperor’s bed. 
The servants were about to drive the serpent 
away, but the emperor forbade them. 

u It will do me no harm,” said he ; u I have 
been just to it. Let us see what it will do.” 

At that the serpent glided up the bed and 
laid a precious stone, which it carried in its 
mouth, upon the emperor’s eyes. Then it 
slipped out of the room and no one saw it again. 
But no sooner had the stone lain on the eyes of 
the emperor than his sight was restored and he 
could see as well as other men. 


HOW THE LAME MAN AND THE BLIND 
MAN HELPED EACH OTHER 

A certain king made a great feast, and in- 
vited many guests to it. There was to be much 
eating and drinking, and every one besides was to 
have a present. The servants of the king gave 
the bidding to one and another, and in jest bade 
two men to the feast, one of whom was strong 
but stone blind, while the other had good sight 
but was dead lame. 

“ What a pity it is,” said the blind man, 
“ that we cannot go to the feast, for we should 
have enough to eat and drink, and a present 
beside. But I am blind and cannot see the way, 
and you are lame and cannot walk.” 

“ Take my counsel,” said the lame man, “ and 
we can both go to the feast.” 

“ Why, how may that be ? ” 

“ It is easily done,” said the lame man. “ You 
are strong and I can see. Let me mount your 
back. You can carry me, and I will show you 
the way.” 

“Well said,” quoth the blind man. So he 
took the lame man on his back and trudged 
along, and both sat down at the king’s feast. 


KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR 
MAID 


There was in Africa a rich and powerful 
king, and his name was Cophetua. He lived in 
a fine palace and had gold and silver dishes on 
his table, and his bedstead was made of ivory, 
and there were weavers in the palace who were 
always weaving new and beautiful clothes for 
this rich and powerful king. 

But though Cophetua had all these goods, he 
lacked one thing. He had no wife, and he was 
lonely. He was not an old man, — not at all. 
He was young and fair to look at ; and he was, 
beside, not spoiled by his riches and his power. 
He treated every one about him kindly, and he 
was known throughout his kingdom as a good 
and generous king. 

The people wished him to marry, and his old 
counsellors wagged their heads together and 
named over all the young princesses in the neigh- 
boring kingdoms. They took journeys to see 
the different princesses, but could not agree 
amongst themselves. One princess was ill-tem- 


20 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


pered ; another thought o£ nothing but her 
clothes ; another was silly ; and then, what they 
disliked most, all the princesses wanted so much 
to marry King Cophetua that they behaved 
ridiculously whenever his name was mentioned. 

So it was that the king, for all his riches and 
power, led a lonely life. But he did not sit 
down and mope. He went cheerfully about his 
daily duties, and, to tell the truth, he had seen so 
many foolish princesses that he came to feel a 
great contempt for women. Mother and sisters 
had he none, and in his country it was not the 
way for young kings to see any women but 
princesses and slaves. 

But one day, as King Cophetua was riding 
out to hunt with his nobles, there stood by the 
wayside a blind old man, and by his side was 
his daughter, a young maid, in poor clothing. 
They were beggars, for even when a king is rich 
he may have beggars in his kingdom. King 
Cophetua was about to toss a coin into the out- 
stretched hand of the old man, when he caught 
sight of the girl’s face. He stopped his horse. 

“ What is your name?” he asked the girl. 

“ Penelophon,” said she. Now it sounded 
oddly in the ears of his nobles that she did not 
say, u Penelophon, your Majesty,” but in fact 


KING COPHETUA 


21 


the beggar girl did not know this was the king, 
and so she answered simply, and looked up into 
his face with her clear, trusting eyes. 

King Cophetua had never seen such a face as 
hers. It was not only beautiful; it showed at 
once a beautiful soul behind it. The king for- 
got in a moment his disdain for women. He 
sprang from his horse to the ground, and took 
the girl’s hand. 

“Wilt thou love me and be my wife?” he 
asked, a little fear in his voice, lest she should 
say him nay. She looked at him and saw that 
he was a true man. No one ever had asked her 
that question before, and she answered very 
simply, “ Yes.” 

“ Then back to the palace,” shouted King 
Cophetua, joyously. “ There shall be no hunt 
to-day.” Amazed were the nobles, and amazed 
were the people, when they heard the news, but 
King Cophetua wedded the beggar maid, and 
together they reigned over a happy people. 


WILLIAM TELL 


Switzekland is a republic, like the United 
States, and the men who live among its moun- 
tains are a brave, free people. But long ago the 
Emperor of Austria claimed the land as a part of 
his empire, and sent a man named Gessler to rule 
the people in his stead. 

Gessler was a tyrant. He wished to stand 
well with his master, the emperor, and he ruled 
the bold Swiss with a rod of iron. He had 
soldiers at his command, and he seemed able to 
do whatever he wished, but there was one thing 
he could not do : he could not make the proud 
people bow down to him when he came among 
them. 

He was angry enough at this, and he cast 
about for some new way in which to make them 
feel his power. In those days, as now, every 
town had a public square called a market-place. 
Here the people flocked to buy and sell of each 
other. The men and women came down from 
the mountains with game and cheese and butter ; 
they sold these things in the market, and bought 


WILLIAM TELL 


23 


goods which they could not make or grow in 
their mountain homes. 

In the market-place of Altorf, a Swiss town, 
Gessler set up a tall pole, like a liberty pole. 
But on the top of this pole he placed his hat, 
and, just as in the city a gilt crown on some high 
point was the sign of the emperor’s power, so 
this hat was to be the sign of Gessler’s power. 
He bade that every Swiss man, woman, or child 
who passed by the pole should bow to the hat. 
In this way they were to show their respect for 
him. 

From one of the mountain homes near Altorf 
there came into the market-place one day a tall, 
strong man named William Tell. He was a 
famous archer, for it was in the days before the 
mountaineers carried guns, and he was wont to 
shoot bears and wild goats and wolves with his 
bow and arrows. 

He had with him his little son, and they 
walked across the market-place. But when they 
passed the pole, Tell never bent his head ; he 
stood as straight as a mountain pine. 

There were servants and spies of Gessler in 
the market-place, and they at once told the 
tyrant how Tell had defied him. Gessler com- 
manded the Swiss to be brought before him, and 
he came, leading by the hand his little son. 


24 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


“They tell me you shoot well,” said the 
tyrant. “ You shall not be punished. Instead 
you shall give me a sign of your skill. Your boy 
is no doubt made of the same stuff you are. Let 
him stand yonder a hundred paces off. Place 
an apple on his head, and do you stand here and 
pierce the apple with an arrow from your 
quiver.” 

All the people about turned pale with fear, 
and fathers who had their sons with them held 
them fast, as if Gessler meant to take them from 
them. But Tell looked Gessler full in the face, 
and drew two arrows from his quiver. 

“ Go yonder,” he said to the lad, and he saw 
him led away by two servants of Gessler, who 
paced a hundred steps, and then placed an apple 
on the boy’s head. They had some pity for Tell 
in their hearts, and so they had made the boy 
stand with his back to his father. 

“ Face this way,” rang out Tell’s clear voice, 
and the boy, quick to obey, turned and stood 
facing his father. He stood erect, his arms 
hanging straight by his side, his head held up, 
and the apple poised on it. He saw Tell string 
his bow, bend it, to try if it were true, fit the 
notch of the arrow into the taut cord, bring the 
bow slowly into place. He could see no more. 
He shut his eyes. 


WILLIAM TELL 


25 


The next moment a great shout rose from the 
crowd. The arrow had split the apple in two 
and had sped beyond. The people were over- 
joyed, but Gessler said in a surly tone to Tell : — 

“ You were not so very sure of your first shot. 
I saw you place a second arrow in your belt.” 

“ That was for thee, tyrant, had I missed my 
first shot,” said Tell. 

“ Seize him ! ” cried the enraged tyrant, and 
his soldiers rushed forward, but the people also 
threw themselves upon the soldiers, and Tell, now 
drawing his bow again, shot the tyrant through 
the heart, and in the confusion that followed, 
taking his boy by the hand, fled quickly to the 
lake near by, and, loosing a boat, rowed to the 
other shore, and so escaped to the mountain 
fastness. 


THE DOG GELLERT 


In the mountains of Wales there lived a 
prince named Llewellyn. He had a fine castle, 
but the most precious thing in his castle was his 
little child. All the servants were devoted to 
the child, but his most constant friend, play- 
mate, and guardian was the great dog Gellert. 
He was a powerful hound, and he needed to be, 
for there were wolves and other wild beasts in 
the forest about the castle. 

Llewellyn had perfect confidence in the dog 
Gellert, and one day when he went out hunting 
he told Gellert to stay at home and take care of 
his little master. So Gellert lay down by the 
side of the cradle and stretched his great paws 
out, as if to say : “ No one shall come near my 
little master.” 

The afternoon went by, the hunt was over, 
and Llewellyn drew near his castle. He sounded 
his horn, and threw himself from his horse at 
the door. Gellert came bounding out, but to 
his horror Llewellyn saw that his mouth was 
dripping with blood, and there were marks of 
blood all about. 


THE DOG GELLERT 


27 


“ 0 faithless hound ! ” he cried. “ Is this 
the way you guard your little master ? ” And 
he drew his sword and with one blow laid the 
hound dead at his feet. Then he rushed into 
the house. Everything was in confusion. The 
cradle was empty, and the clothes were thrown 
about. 

He stood still, ready to faint, when he heard 
a little sound. Perhaps his son still lived. He 
went to the cradle, and there on the floor be- 
hind it was his little boy, laughing, and pull- 
ing the hair of a great shaggy wolf that lay 
stretched out dead beside him. 

Then the whole story was clear to him. The 
wolf had come in through the open door, had 
stolen toward the cradle, when Gellert had 
sprung upon the wolf, had fought with him and 
slain him. 

0 happy father ! 0 unhappy prince ! To 

have his child back again, and to have slain 
that child’s faithful guardian ! He could not 
bring the hound back to life, but he dug his 
grave and built above it a beautiful monument, 
and the place is called Beth Gellert to this 
day. 


THE WANDEKING JEW 


When our Saviour was passing out of Jeru- 
salem to the place where he was to be cruci- 
fied, he was made to carry the heavy cross on 
his shoulders. Many people followed him, and 
others stood in the doorways of the houses he 
passed, or looked out of the windows. 

One of these who looked on was a shoemaker, 
Ahasuerus by name. He did not believe in 
Christ. He had been present when Pilate pro- 
nounced the sentence of death, and, knowing 
that Christ would be dragged past his house, he 
ran home and called his household to see this per- 
son, who, he said, had been deceiving the Jews. 

Ahasuerus stood in the doorway, holding his 
little child on his arm. Presently the crowd 
came by and Jesus in the midst, bearing his 
cross. The load was heavy, and Jesus stood a 
moment, as if he would rest in the doorway. 
But the Jew, willing to gain favor with the 
crowd, roughly bade him go forward. Jesus 
obeyed, but, as he moved away, he turned and 
looked on the shoemaker and said : — 


THE WANDERING JEW 


29 


“ I shall at last rest, but thou shalt go on till 
the last day.” 

Ahasuerus heard him. Stirred by some im- 
pulse, he knew not what, he set his child down, 
and followed the crowd to the place of crucifix- 
ion. There he stayed till the end. And when 
the people turned back, he turned back with 
them, and went to his house, but not to stay. 
He bade his wife and children farewell. 

u Go on ! ” a voice said to him, and on that 
day he began his wanderings. Years afterward 
he came back, but Jerusalem was a heap of 
ruins. The city had been destroyed, nnd he 
knew that his wife and children had long since 
been dead. 

“ Go on ! ” he heard, and he wandered forth, 
begging his way from house to house, from 
town to town, from one country to another. He 
wandered from Judaea to Greece, from Greece 
to Rome. He grew old, and his face was like 
leather, but his eyes were bright, and he never 
lost his vigor. 

He went through storms and the cold of win- 
ter, he endured the dry heat of summer, but no 
sickness overtook him. He joined armies that 
were going forth to battle, but death never 
came his way, though men fell by his side. 


30 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


He was never seen to laugh. Now and then, 
some learned man would draw him into talk, 
not knowing who he was, and would find him 
familiar with great events in history. It was 
not as if he had learned these in books. He 
talked as if he himself had been present. Then 
the learned man would shake his head, and say 
to himself, “ Poor man, he is mad,” and only 
after the old wanderer had left would the 
thought suddenly come, “ Why, that must have 
been the Wandering Jew.” 

Where is he now? No one knows. Wan- 
dering, weary, he moves from place to place. 
Sometimes he is driven off by the people, he 
looks so uncanny. When war breaks out, he 
says to himself, “ Perhaps now at last the end 
of the world is coming ; ” but though wars have 
lasted a hundred years, they cease at last, and 
still the Wandering Jew goes on, on. 


THE LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER 


There was a mighty man living in the land of 
Canaan. He was so strong and could carry such 
heavy loads that he was named Offero, meaning 
“ The Bearer.” In those days men born in 
poverty were wont to join themselves to the rich 
and noble and serve them ; in return, they were 
cared for all through life by their masters. 

Offero was proud of his strength, and said he 
would serve no one but the greatest king on 
earth. So he went from one country to another, 
until he came to one where the king was richer 
and more powerful than all other kings whom 
he had seen. Here Offero stayed, and entered 
the service of this great ruler. 

But one day, as he stood by the king in the 
palace, a minstrel sang and played. In his song, 
now and then, he uttered the name of Satan. 
Every time he did so, the king trembled and 
made the sign of the cross. Now Offero had 
never heard of Satan, and he asked the king 
why he trembled. At first the king jiiade no 
answer. 


32 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


“ Tell me/’ said Offero, “ or I will leave thee.” 

“ I tremble/’ said the king, “ because I fear 
Satan. I make the sign of the cross that he 
may have no power over me, for he is as wicked 
as he is strong.” 

“ Dost thou fear him ? ” asked Offero. “ Then 
will I leave thee and seek him, for I can serve 
no master who is afraid of a greater.” 

Thus Offero left the king and went off in 
search of Satan. As he was crossing a great 
desert, he came upon a mighty being who 
marched at the head of a vast army. This great 
one hardly looked at the giant Offero, but as he 
passed him he asked : — 

“ Whither goest thou ? whom dost thou 
seek ? ” 

“ I seek Satan,” said Offero. “ I would have 
him for my master, for he is the mightiest being 
on earth.” 

“ I am he,” said Satan. “ Come with me, and 
thy service shall be easy and pleasant.” 

Offero joined the army of Satan, and went 
marching on with it. By and by they came to 
a place where four roads met, and by the way- 
side stood a cross. When Satan saw the cross, 
he turned in great haste, and led his army 
quickly away. 


THE LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER 33 

“Why is this?” asked Offero. “What is 
this cross ? and why dost thou avoid it ? ” 

Satan gave no answer. 

“ Tell me,” said Offero, “or I will leave thee.” 

Then Satan said : — 

“ I fear the cross because upon it Christ hung, 
and I fly from it, lest he destroy me.” 

Then Offero left Satan and went in search of 
Christ. After many days he came upon a holy 
man, and asked him, as he had asked others, 
where he should find Christ. The holy man 
began to teach him, and said to him : — 

“ Thou art right. Christ is the greatest king 
on earth and in heaven. But it is no light 
thing to serve him. He will lay great burdens 
on thee. And first thou must fast.” 

“I will not fast,” said Offero; “for my 
strength makes me a good servant, and if I fast 
I shall be weak.” 

“ Besides, thou must pray.” 

“I know not how to pray, neither will I 
learn,” said the proud giant. Then the holy 
man said : — 

“Wilt thou use thy strength? Find out 
some broad, deep river, with a swift current, so 
swift that men cannot cross it.” 

“ I know such a stream,” said Offero. 


34 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


“ Then go to it, and help those who struggle 
with its waters. Carry across on thy broad 
shoulders the weak and the little ones. This is 
a good work, and it may be that Christ will be 
pleased.” 

Offero was glad to be given this task. He 
built a hut on the bank of the river, and there 
he dwelt. Whenever one tried to cross the 
stream, Offero gave him aid. Truly, he was 
The Bearer, for he carried many across on his 
shoulders, so that not one was lost. For a stall 
he used a great palm-tree, which he plucked up 
by the roots. 

Long he lived in his hut, and great was the 
help which he gave to travellers. At last, one 
night, as he was resting, he heard a voice, like 
that of a weak child, saying : — 

“ Offero, wilt thou bear me over ? ” 

He went to the bank of the river, but he could 
find no one. He went back to his hut and lay 
down. Again he heard the same voice. This 
happened three times. Then he lighted a lan- 
tern, and went out to search the country about. 
Now he came upon a little child, who begged 
him : — 

“ Offero, Offero, bear me over to-night.” 

He lifted the child and placed him on his 


THE LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER 35 

broad shoulders ; he took his stout staff and began 
to cross the flood. But all at once the winds 
blew, the waves rose, and there was a roaring in 
his ears, as if the great ocean were let loose ; 
the weight on his shoulders bore him down more 
and more, until he feared he should sink. But 
he held firmly to his stout staff, and at last 
reached the other bank, and placed his burden 
safely on the ground. 

“ What have I borne ? ” cried Offero. “ It 
could not have been heavier if it had been the 
whole world.” 

Then the child answered : — 

“ Thou didst wish to serve me and I have 
chosen thee as my servant. Thou hast borne, 
not the whole world, but the king of the whole 
world, on thy shoulders. That thou mayest 
know who I am, fix thy staff in the earth.” 

Offero did so, and, lo ! out of the bare palm- 
staff sprang leaves, and among the leaves were 
rich clusters of dates. Then Offero knew that 
it was Christ whom he had borne, and he fell 
down at his feet. 

Offero now was in the service of Christ, and 
not long after he went to Samos, where the 
heathen were killing the Christians. A man 
struck him, but the giant only said : — 


36 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


“ I am a servant of Christ. I cannot strike 
thee back.” 

He was bound with chains and taken to Dag- 
nus, king of Lycia. So mighty was the giant 
that Dagnus fainted with fear when he saw him. 
When Dagnus came to himself, he asked the 
giant : — 

“ Who art thou ? ” 

“ My name,” he said, “ was Offero, the Bearer, 
hut now I serve Christ. I have borne him on 
my shoulders. For this I am now called Christ- 
offero, the Christ-Bearer.” 

Thus it was that Christopher won his name, 
and because he was true to his name he is 
called St. Christopher. 


HOW THE PRINCESS WAS BEATEN IN A 
RACE 


There was once a king who had a daughter, 
and this daughter was very fair, so that every 
prince in all the countries around wished to 
marry her. Now the princess was a very swift 
runner. She ran so fast that no one could over- 
take her. 

The king was in no haste to marry off his 
daughter, so he gave out that no one should 
have her for a wife who could not beat her in a 
race. Any one, prince or peasant, might race 
with her. The first man who beat her in the 
race should have her for wife; but whoever 
raced with her and did not beat must have his 
head cut off. 

At first there were many who tried, for a great 
many princes were in love with her, and men who 
were not princes thought they might outstrip 
her, and so come to be as good as princes. 

The girl had fine fun. She raced with each 
one, and she always beat in the game ; a great 


38 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


many heads were cut off, and at last it was hard 
to find any one who dared to race with her. 

Now there was a poor young man in the 
country who thought thus to himself : — 

“ I am poor, and have only my head to lose if 
I do not win the race. If I should win I should 
become noble, and all my family would be noble 
also. I think I will try.” 

He was a good runner, and he was also a fel- 
low of quick wit. He heard that the princess 
was very fond of roses. So he gathered a fine 
nosegay. He also had a silken girdle made. 
Finally he took all his money and bought a 
silken bag, and placed in it a golden ball ; on the 
ball were the words, “ Who plays with me shall 
never tire of play.” 

These three things he placed in the bosom of 
his robe, and went and knocked at the palace 
gate. The porter asked him what he wished, 
and he said he had come to race with the prin- 
cess. 

The princess herself, who was only a young 
girl, looked out of the window and heard what 
was said. She saw that he was poor and meanly 
clad, and she looked on him with scorn. 

But the king’s law made no choice between 
rich and poor, prince and peasant. So the prin- 


HOW THE PRINCESS WAS BEATEN 39 

cess made ready to run. The king and all the 
court gathered to see the race, and the heads- 
man went off to sharpen his axe. 

The two had not run far, and the princess 
was outrunning the young man, when he drew 
forth his bunch of roses. He threw this so that 
it fell at the feet of the princess. She stopped, 
picked it up, and was greatly pleased with the 
flowers. She looked at them, smelled of them, 
and began to bind them in her hair. She for- 
got the race, when suddenly she saw the young 
man far ahead of her. 

At once off she tore the roses, threw them 
from her, and ran like the wind. It was but a 
little while before she overtook the young man. 
She smote him lightly on the shoulder and 
said : — 

“ Stop, foolish boy ! Do you hope to marry 
a princess ? ” 

But as she sped past him, he threw before 
her the silken girdle. Again she stopped, and 
stooped to look at it. It was a beautiful girdle, 
and she clasped it about her waist. As she was 
buckling it, she saw the young man well on 
toward the goal. 

“ Wretch ! ” she cried, and burst into tears. 
Then she flung the girdle away and bounded 


40 THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 

forward. Once more she caught up with him. 
She seized him by the arm. 

“ You shall not marry me!” she said angrily, 
and sprang past him. She was near the goal, 
but the young man now let fall at her feet the 
silken bag. The ball of gold glittered in it, and 
the princess was curious to see what the play- 
thing was. She paused for just a moment, 
raised the bag from the ground and took out 
the ball. It had letters on it, and she stood 
still to read them : — 

“ Who plays with me shall never tire of 
play ” 

“ I should like to see if that is true,” said the 
princess, and she began to play with the ball. 
She tossed it and tossed it, and no one can say 
if she would have tired, for suddenly she heard 
a great shout. The young man had reached 
the winning-post : his head was safe. He mar- 
ried the princess, and all his family were made 
noble. 


ABRAHAM AND THE OLD MAN 


The patriarch Abraham sat at the door of his 
tent. It was evening, when he was wont to 
watch for any strangers who might pass by, for 
all such he bade enter his tent. He espied an 
old man coming toward him, leaning on his 
staff, weary with travel and bent with age, for 
he was a hundred years old. 

Abraham rose and asked the old man to come 
into the tent. He washed his feet, gave him 
the best seat, and set meat before him. The 
old man ate his supper in silence, but he offered 
no prayer before he ate. 

66 Why dost thou not first worship the God of 
heaven ? ” asked Abraham. 

“ I worship fire only ; I know no other God,” 
said the old man. 

At that Abraham was very angry and drove 
his guest out into the dark night. Then God 
called Abraham and said to him : — 

“ Where is that stranger who was in thy 
tent?” 

“ I thrust him out,” said the patriarch, “ be- 
cause he did not worship Thee.” 


42 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


Then God answered Abraham out of heaven : 

“ I have suffered him these hundred years, 
although he did not honor me, and couldst thou 
not endure him one night when he gave thee no 
trouble ? ” 

Then was Abraham very sorry, and went and 
brought the old man back, and gave him rest, 
and sent him on his way in the morning. 


THE IMAGE AND THE TREASURE 


In the city of Rome was a graven image of a 
man. It stood upright and held out its right 
hand. On the middle finger of the hand were 
the words strike here. No one knew what 
this meant, but all thought the image held some 
hid treasure. Thus the image was marred by 
blows where one person and another had struck 
it to find the opening. 

At last a learned man looked hard at the 
image to see if he could find out the secret. 
The sun was shining brightly. It was noon, 
and the shadow of the image lay upon the 
ground. The hand of the shadow was stretched 
out, and the learned man saw the shadow finger. 

He marked the spot where the tip of the fin- 
ger rested, and at night, when all was still, he 
came again. He had brought a spade with him, 
and he dug down at the spot he had marked. 
Soon he came to a trap door. He raised the 
door and saw some steps leading down. Then 
he closed the door above him and went down 
the steps. 


44 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


He found himself in a great hall, and in the 
middle of the hall was a table. The table was 
set with dishes of gold and silver, with golden 
knives and cups of gold. At one end sat a 
king and a queen. He knew they were a king 
and a queen by their rich robes, and by the 
crowns on their heads. Fine nobles, too, sat at 
the table, and all about were men standing. 

The wonder was, there was not a sound, and 
not a single person moved. The king sat still ; 
the queen sat still ; the nobles did not stir ; the 
men were fixed. It was as if they were all of 
stone, and so they were ; for when this learned 
man touched them, he found that they were 
stone. 

He went into a room beyond. There he saw 
many women dressed in purple. They, too, were 
of stone. He went into a stable : there stood 
horses in the stalls, and dogs ; hut they had all 
been turned to stone. So he went about the 
palace, for palace it plainly was, and everywhere 
it was as still as death. Not a living thing was 
to he seen ; but there were riches more than he 
ever dreamt of. 

At last he came back to the great hall. He 
saw that the light which lighted the hall came 
from a precious stone in one corner. The light, 


THE IMAGE AND THE TREASURE 45 

as he gazed, fell upon a stone archer, who stood 
with his bow drawn, and the arrow pointed at 
the precious stone. On the archer’s brow were 
the words : — 

u I am what I am. My shaft is sure ; least of 
all can the precious stone escape me.” 

Now the learned man thought to carry away 
some of the treasure. He went to the table and 
chose some of the golden cups. They surely 
would be the easiest to carry. But no sooner 
had he hid them in his cloak than, whish ! the 
arrow sped from the bow and struck the precious 
stone. In an instant the stone was shivered to 
bits and there was total darkness. 

The learned man groped for the stairs. He 
could not find them. He went back and forth, 
but he never found the stairs. He, too, became a 
stone statue in the secret hall. 


THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 


Once upon a time, a Dutch ship set sail from 
the East Indies to return to Holland. The Dutch 
had rich lands in the East Indies, and many a 
poor lad went out from Holland before the mast 
and landed at Java, it may be, and there settled 
himself and grew rich. 

Such an one was a certain Diedrich, who had 
no father or mother living, and was left to shift 
for himself. And when he came to Java he was 
bound out to a rich planter ; but he worked so 
hard and was so faithful that it was not long 
before he was free and his own master. Little 
by little he saved his money, and as he was very 
careful it was not many years before he was 
very rich indeed. 

Now all these years Diedrich had never for- 
gotten what a hard time he had had when he 
was a boy; and at last, when he was a man 
grown and had his large fortune, he resolved 
to carry out a plan which he had made. He 
sold his lands and houses, which he owned in 
Java, and all his goods, and took the money he 


THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 


47 


received in bags aboard a ship which was to 
return to Holland. 

He was the only passenger on board, but he was 
a friendly man, and soon he was on good terms 
with the captain and all the crew. One day, as 
the ship drew near the Cape of Good Hope, 
Diedrich was sitting by the captain, and they 
each fell to talking about their early life. 

“And what,” said Diedrich to the captain, 
“ do you mean to do when you make a few more 
voyages, and have saved up money enough not 
to need to go to sea any more ? ” 

“I know well,” said the captain, as he pulled 
away at his pipe. “ There is a little house I 
know by a canal just outside of Amsterdam. 
I mean to buy that house; and I will have a 
summer-house in the garden, and there I will sit 
all day long smoking my pipe, while my wife sits 
by my side and knits, and the children play in 
the garden.” 

“ Then you have children ? ” 

“ That I have,” said the captain, and he went 
on to name them, and to tell how old each one 
was, and how bright they all were. It was good to 
hear him, for he was a simple man, and cared 
for nothing so much as his wife and little Qnes. 

“ And what,” at last the captain said to Die- 
drich, — “ what shall you do ? ” 


48 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


“ Ah, I have no wife or children, and there is 
no one in all Holland who will be glad to see me 
come home.” Then he told of what a hard time 
he had when he was a youngster, and at last, as 
the darkness grew deeper, and he sat there alone 
with the captain, he suddenly told him his great 
plan. 

“ I have made a great deal of money,” said he, 
“ which you know I am carrying home with me. 
I will tell you what I am going to do with it. 
There are a great many poor children in Amster- 
dam who have no home. I am going to build a 
great house and live in it, and I am going to 
have the biggest family of any one in Amsterdam. 
I shall take the poorest and the most miserable 
children in Amsterdam, and they shall be my 
sons and daughters.” 

“ And you shall bring them out to my house,” 
said the captain, “ and your children and mine 
shall play together.” So they talked and talked, 
until at last it was very late, and they went to 
their cabins for the night. 

Now, while they were talking, the man at the 
wheel listened ; and, as he heard of the bags of 
gold that Diedrich was carrying home, his evil 
heart began to covet the gold. As he steered 
the ship, and after his turn was over, he thought 


THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 


49 


and thought how he could get that gold. He 
knew it would be impossible for him alone to 
seize it, and so he whispered about it to one and 
another of the sailors. 

The crew had been got together hastily. 
There was not one Dutchman among them, and 
there was not one of the crew who had not com- 
mitted some crime. They were wicked men, 
and, when the sailor told them of the gold that 
was on board, they were ready for anything. 

The ship drew nearer the Cape of Good Hope, 
and the captain walked the deck with Diedrich, 
and they both talked of the Holland to which 
they were going, when suddenly they were seized 
from behind and tightly bound. At the same 
instant the officers of the ship, the mate and the 
second mate, were seized, and now the ship was in 
the hands of the mutinous crew. 

These wicked men made short work. They 
threw the captain and Diedrich and the two 
mates, each bound hand and foot, into the sea. 
“ Dead men tell no tales,” said the man at the 
wheel. Then they sailed for the nearest port. 
But as they sailed a horrible plague broke out on 
board. It was a plague which made the men 
crave water for their burning throats, and, as 
they fought to get at the water-casks, they 
spilled all the water they had. 


50 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


There they were, in the midst of the salt sea, 
which only to look at made them wild with 
thirst.. Though they feared what might befall 
them if they made for the land, they could not 
stand the raging thirst, and they steered for the 
nearest port. 

But when they came into the port, the people 
saw they had the plague, and they refused to 
let them land. 

“ We have great store of gold,” the crew cried 
with their parched mouths. u Only give us 
water ! ” But the people drove them away. It 
was the same when they went to the next port, 
and the next. They turned back, away from 
their homeward voyage, to the ports of the East. 

Then a great storm arose and they were driven 
far out to sea, and when the gale died down 
they steered again for the land. And when 
they drew near once more, another gale sprang 
up, and they were driven hither and thither. 
And once more they were swept far away from 
the shore. 

That was years and years ago. But when 
ships make the Cape of Good Hope, and are 
rounding it, through the fog and mist and dark- 
ness of the night they see a ghostly ship sailing, 
sailing, never reaching land, always beating up 


THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 


51 


against the wind. Its sails are torn, the masts 
are bleached, and there are pale figures moving 
about on deck. Then the sailors whisper to 
each other : — 

“ Look ! there is the Flying Dutchman ! ” 


THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS 


W hen Decius was Emperor of Rome, he hated 
the Christians, and persecuted them. Now he 
went on his travels and came to the city of 
Ephesus. There he had altars built, and com- 
manded that all the people should worship the 
gods of the heathen. If there were any Chris- 
tians there, they must worship these idols openly 
or be put to death. 

This caused great fright in the city, and there 
were some who feared to die, and they did wor- 
ship the idols though they had called themselves 
by the name of Christian. But there were seven 
young men who refused to worship the idols, 
and remained in their houses praying and fast- 
ing. When Decius heard this, he bade them be 
brought before him ; and because they were fair 
and good to look on, he gave them a little time 
in which to make up their minds whether they 
would worship the idols or be put to death. 

So the seven got together, and, because they 
were willing to die for the faith, they sold all 
they had and gave the money to the poor of 


THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS 53 

Ephesus, keeping only a few coins for them- 
selves. Then, hoping to escape alive, they went 
secretly from the city to Mount Celion, not far 
away, where they found a cave, and there they 
hid themselves. 

By and by they were hungry, and one of their 
number, Malchus by name, went back to the 
town to buy some bread. He went disguised, 
and when he reached Ephesus he heard every one 
talking of the seven Christians who had fled. 
The Emperor Decius was furious, and was send- 
ing soldiers in every direction to hunt for them. 

At that Malchus turned back, and managed to 
reach the cave again without being seen. He 
told his comrades what he had heard, and they 
all fell a-weeping. But he gave them the loaves 
he had brought, and they all ate, and then, 
plucking up courage, they crept into the darkest 
part of the cave, and, committing themselves to 
God, lay down and fell asleep. 

Decius was very angry that the seven young 
men had escaped. He called their parents, but 
they could tell him nothing save that the seven 
had sold all their goods and given them to the 
poor, and then had disappeared. Decius sent in 
every direction, but the seven could not be found. 
Finally he gave orders that all the caves in the 


54 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


neighborhood should be stopped with stones ; 
“ for,” said he, “ if they should chance to be 
hiding in any one of them, there they should stay 
till the end of the world.” So the cavern in 
which the seven were hid was blocked up, but the 
seven sleepers within knew nothing, heard no- 
thing, that was going on. 

\ 

The Emperor Decius died, and all the people 
of Ephesus died, and time went on. Little by 
little, and sometimes by great leaps, Christianity 
became the religion of the empire, and in three 
hundred and sixty years after this time Theo- 
dosius was emperor and Christianity was the 
established religion. 

One day a shepherd, who had his hut on the 
side of Mount Celion, wished to make a wall 
about his sheepfold, and he began drawing stone 
from a large pile. As he drew away one stone 
after another, he saw that they stopped the mouth 
of a cavern. At last he had drawn them all 
away, and the cavern was open to the light 
and air. 

With this the seven sleepers, who had slept 
soundly for three hundred and sixty years, 
awoke. They rubbed their eyes and sat upright, 
and began talking over the affairs of yesterday, 


THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS 55 

for they had no thought except that they had 
slept a night. 

“ What,” they asked Malchus, “ do you think 
Decius will now do ? ” 

a He will surely hunt us down, to force us 
to worship the idols,” said Malchus. But they 
all agreed they would sooner die first. Never- 
theless, as the day wore on, they were hungry 
enough, and Malchus, taking a few coins from 
their little store, said he would go again to the 
city to buy bread, and learn what he could of 
the emperor's doings. 

When he left the cavern he saw a heap of 
stones lying beside the mouth, for the shepherd 
had not carried all away. He was puzzled, and 
called his comrades to look at them. They 
could not any of them remember to have seen 
them before. Then Malchus went on his way to 
the city, and when he came to one of the gates 
he looked up and saw a cross above the gate. 
He was disturbed, for he thought something 
must ail his eyes. He went around and came to 
another gate, and there also he saw a cross. 

“ Am I in a dream ? ” he asked himself ; but 
he entered the city, and made his way to a bak- 
er’s shop. The city had changed. The houses 
looked curiously older, and there were some he 


56 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


did not remember to have seen before, though 
he had lived in Ephesus since he was a boy. 
But what amazed him most was to hear one and 
another say, as they passed him, “ The Lord be 
with you,” “ May Jesus bless you.” What ! why, 
yesterday, no one dared pronounce aloud the 
name of the Saviour ! 

He entered the shop and laid a piece of money 
on the counter and asked for bread. The baker 
answered him : it was his own language, and yet 
it was not. The baker took up the coin and 
looked at it curiously. Then he looked at 
Malchus, and began whispering to some who 
stood by. 

At that Malchus was sure they had discovered 
him, and would take him to the emperor. He 
begged them to let him alone. He would give 
them his money if only they would not take him 
to the emperor, and would let him go back to 
his friends. The baker said : — 

“ Not so. It is clear that you have found a 
treasure. Show us where it is ; show us where 
the money is that is hidden, from which you took 
this piece, and we will share it with you, and 
then we will see that no harm comes to you.” 
For you must know that in old times, when 
there were many wars, people used to hide their 


THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS 57 

gold and silver in some secret place, meaning to 
go and dig it up again when the war was over. 
But often it happened that the people who hid 
their treasure were killed in the war, and never 
came back for it. So, all over the East, men 
were always hoping they should find these hid- 
den treasures, which hundreds of years before 
had been secretly put away . 1 

Now Malchus heard this and knew not what to 
say ; he was amazed and he was afraid, for above 
all he wished not to be made known. So he held 
his peace. But the baker and those who stood 
by became angry, and they put a rope round his 
neck and dragged him out into the market-place. 
They could not hold their tongues, and soon the 
news spread that the young man had found a hid 
treasure. 

A great crowd gathered in the market-place, 
and Malchus looked about to find some friend 
who would speak a good word for him. But 
though he scanned all the faces before him, he 
could not find a man or woman he ever had seen 
before, and it was all as if he were in a dreadful 
dream. 

1 So ill the Bible, Matthew xiii. 44 : “ The kingdom of heaven 
is like unto a treasure hid in a field : the which when a man 
hath found, he hideth [that is, keeps secjret from others], and 
for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth 
that field.” 


58 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


Word came to the ears of the governor of 
Ephesus that there was a great crowd in the 
market-place, and a strange man among them; 
and the governor and the bishop sent to have 
Malchus brought before them, together with the 
baker and the baker’s men. They heard the 
story that the baker told, and they looked at 
the money. They asked Malchus where the 
treasure was which he had found. 

“I have found no treasure,” said he. “I 
have nothing but this coin and one or two 
others,” which he took from his pocket. 

“ Where do you come from? ” they asked him. 

“ I am a native of Ephesus,” said he. “ I 
have been away from the town but a night, and 
have returned to-day. I needed some bread, 
and I went to the shop of this man,” pointing 
to the baker. 

“ If you are a native of Ephesus,” said the 
governor, “ tell us the names of your parents, 
and where they live.” Then Malchus told their 
names and the street where they lived. The 
governor and the bishop looked at each other. 

“ There are no such people living in Ephesus,” 
said the governor ; “ and, what is more, there is 
no street by that name. There was one once, 
many years ago, but it was long since destroyed 
to make room for the cathedral. And this 


THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS 59 

money ! why, it was coined in the reign of the 
Emperor Decius. Now we see plainly that you 
are not speaking the truth. Tell us where you 
found the treasure, or it shall go hard with you.” 

Then Malchus burst forth : — 

“I implore you, in the name of God, answer 
me a few questions, and then I will answer 
yours. Where is the Emperor Decius? Is he 
still in Ephesus ? or has he left the city ? ” 

“ My son,” said the bishop, “ you speak 
strange words. The Emperor Decius has been 
dead these three hundred and fifty years or 
more.” 

“ I am sore perplexed,” said Malchus. “ But 
what I say is true. There are seven of us who 
fled from the city yesterday to escape persecu- 
tion by the emperor. We went and hid our- 
selves in a cave on the side of Mount Celion yon- 
der. Come with me. I will show you the cave 
and my comrades, if indeed I be not still in a 
dream.” 

“ The hand of God is here,” said the bishop 
to the governor. So they followed Malchus and 
a great crowd went with them. And when 
they came to the cavern, Malchus called joy- 
fully to his comrades ; and they came out, much 
amazed to see Malchus returned, and with him 
so great a multitude. 


60 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


Now when the bishop and the governor saw 
the seven sleepers, who had thus awaked, they 
saw they had fresh, ruddy faces, as those who 
had slept well and were in perfect health. And 
the bishop and the governor and all the people 
fell down and praised God for this great won- 
der. Then a messenger was sent straightway 
for the Emperor Theodosius. When he came 
and heard the strange news, he too was greatly 
amazed, and Malchus said, speaking for the 
seven : — 

“You behold us here whom men counted as 
dead, and behold we have risen from the dead. 
So shall it be with all those who fall asleep in 
Jesus. They shall rise again, as if they had 
passed the night in sleep, without suffering and 
without dreams.” 

And when he had said this, the seven sleepers 
bowed their heads, and their souls returned to 
their Maker. The emperor bent over them, 
weeping. And he would have had them en- 
closed in golden caskets, to be kept in the cathe- 
dral. But that night they appeared to him in a 
dream, and said that hitherto they had slept in 
the earth, and that in the earth they desired to 
sleep on, till God should again awaken them for- 
ever. 


THE LITTLE THIEF 


In one of the beautiful cities of Italy there 
stood a tall marble column, and on the top of 
the column was a statue of bronze, which shone 
in the sun. It was a statue of Justice, and Jus- 
tice held in one hand a pair of scales ; that was 
to say that every deed would be weighed in the 
balances : and in the other hand Justice held a 
sword ; that was to say that when a man was 
weighed in the balances and found wanting, 
Justice was ready with a sword to put him to 
death. 

Now for many years this statue stood for the 
government of the city. Justice was done to 
every one. The law was observed by the rulers, 
who were fair in their dealings with men, and up- 
right. But in course of time the rulers became 
evil. They no longer governed justly, and the 
poor did not feel that they were treated by the 
law as the rich were treated, and this story is 
meant to show it. 

In one of the palaces of the city there was a 
poor maid-servant whom we will call Martha. 


62 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


She went in and out about her duty, and was a 
faithful little thing. Although there were many 
jewels and pieces of money in her lady’s cham- 
ber, she never took anything, and no one thought 
her any other than a good, honest girl. 

But one day, when she came to help her lady 
dress for a great ball, she could not find a pearl 
necklace. It had been laid on the table, her 
lady said, and now it was not there. Martha 
looked everywhere, but could not find it. It was 
a warm night, the window was open, and she 
looked out. She did not think the necklace 
could have been blown out, but she had looked 
everywhere else. 

No, there was no sign of it. It had not 
fallen upon the stone ledge below the window. 
Not far away was the bronze figure of Justice, 
and in the darkness there was a curious sight. 
She could not see the stone pillar, but the bronze 
figure stood out against the sky as if it were 
flying through the air. This curious sight kept 
her looking, and made her forget for a moment 
what had happened. 

“ Martha ! ” called her lady sharply, and Mar- 
tha drew her head in and turned red as she 
thought of what she had been doing. Her lady 
looked at her keenly. 


THE LITTLE THIEF 


63 


“Martha,” said she, suddenly, “you took 
the necklace. You are a little thief ! ” 

Martha was frightened at these words. She 
had never been called by such a name before, 
and she was confused, and knew not what to 
say. So she looked down and said nothing. 
The lady was angry. 

“ I know you are a thief ! ” she said again, 
“ a little thief ! ” 

“I am not,” cried Martha, but the lady had 
made up her mind to it, and, as the necklace 
could not be found, she was certain Martha had 
taken it. 

Poor Martha ! She had no friends now, and 
she could not prove she had not taken the neck- 
lace. She could only say she had not. To be 
sure, it was not in her little box, nor in any 
dress she had, nor anywhere in the little room 
where she slept. They only said she must have 
been very cunning to hide it away so carefully. 

And now Martha was put in prison, and the 
evil judges were more afraid of displeasing the 
great lady of the palace than of doing an unjust 
deed. They tried Martha, they found her guilty, 
and they condemned her to be put to death. 

It was a strange comment on the great bronze 
figure of Justice that the gallows on which Mar- 
tha was to be hanged should be placed just 


64 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


under the figure, at the foot of the column. 
Yet so it was, and the day came for Martha to 
be hanged. The cruel judges gave her no hope. 

The day came, and it was dark and lowering. 
It was almost as if the heavens frowned on the 
city. The people gathered and Martha mounted 
the platform on which the gallows stood. Low 
mutterings were heard. The skies grew black. 
There was a sudden blinding light and a great 
crash. A bolt of lightning had plunged down. 
For a moment the people were stunned. Poor 
Martha thought she had been struck. 

But she had not been struck. The lightning, 
however, had come so near that it had struck the 
arm of Justice that held the scales, and down 
had come the scales to the ground. The scales 
fell, indeed, at Martha’s feet, and when she could 
see, oh joy ! there lay the gleaming necklace of 
pearls ! It was twined in the clay of a nest ! 

The secret was out. A magpie had stolen 
the necklace from the table in the palace, had 
flown with it out of the window to the nest he 
was building in the scales in the hand of Jus- 
tice. Perhaps he was working it into the nest 
at the very moment when Martha w r as looking 
at the bronze figure. 

At any rate, justice was done at last to little 
Martha, though men had been unjust. 


THE FAIR MELUSINA 


There was a king who ruled over Albania, 
and he was very sad for his wife had died. He 
kept by himself, and would not be comforted ; 
but at last his courtiers coaxed him to go a-hunt- 
ing, and so dearly did he love the chase that he 
forgot his grief. 

Now one day in the woods he was thirsty, and 
drew near a spring to quench his thirst. And 
as he drew near, he heard a sweet voice singing, 
and it was none other than the voice of the fairy 
Pressina. He was alone, and he sat long listen- 
ing to her song. 

That was how at first he came to know the 
fairy. And she was so sweet and gentle that 
by and by he persuaded her to be his wife. It 
was not a very wise thing for a fairy to wed a 
mortal, and Pressina promised only on condition 
that he should never come to see her when she 
had children. 

The king gladly promised, and meant to keep 
his word ; but one day, the king’s son by his for- 
mer wife came hastily to him, and told him that 


66 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


Pressina had given birth to three daughters. 
The king was overjoyed. He forgot his promise 
and flew to her chamber, where he found her 
bathing her three daughters. 

Pressina cried bitterly that he had broken his 
word, and he should see her no more. She took 
her three daughters and disappeared. Where 
did she go? Why, to the Lost Island. That 
was so called because it was only by chance that 
one ever found it, and even if one found it once, 
he might easily lose it, and never find it again. 
Here she reared her children, and when they were 
grown, she took them every day to the top of a 
mountain, whence they could look down upon 
Albania. 

“ My children,” she would say, “ you see that 
distant, beautiful country. There your father 
lives. He is king of the land, and there you 
might now be living happily if he had not bro- 
ken his word to me, and I could no longer live 
with him, for I had warned him of this, and a 
fairy may not break her word.” 

This went on year after year, and at last when 
they were fifteen years old, Melusina, who was 
the first to be born, begged her mother to tell 
them what was the word their father gave, and 
how he came to break it. And when she heard 


THE FAIR MELUSINA 


67 


the story, she was filled with wrath, and laid a 
plot with her sisters for revenge upon their 
father. 

The three maidens said nothing to Pressina, 
but secretly set out for Albania. As they were 
half fairies, they could use the fairies’ charms, and 
this they did. They seized the king their father, 
and shut him up forever in the heart of a moun- 
tain. Then they went back in triumph, and told 
their mother what they had done. 

But Pressina was not at all pleased. She did 
not wish the king, her husband, thus put out of 
the way, and she punished her children for what 
they had done. The other two she punished 
lightly, but she condemned Melusina to become, 
every Saturday, a serpent from her waist down- 
ward. The only escape for her was to find a 
husband, who would promise never to look upon 
her on a Saturday, and who would keep his word. 
So long as he was faithful, all would be well. 

The fair Melusina now began to roam through 
the world in search of this faithful husband. 
She was most beautiful to behold, and had every 
grace to make her winsome ; but it was long be- 
fore she could meet the man of her search. She 
passed through the Black Forest, and at last came 
to a place known as the Fountain of the Fairies, 


68 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


for there were many fairies about the place ; it 
was called also the Fountain of Thirst. 

It chanced that Count Raymond strayed that 
way one moonlight night, and there he saw three 
fairies dancing, but the most beautiful of the 
three was the fair Melusina. She was so sweet 
and gentle that he fell madly in love with her, 
and begged her to marry him. 

The fair Melusina knew that she had at last 
found the man for whom she had been waiting 
and looking. Yes, she would marry him, but on 
one condition only. He must never look upon 
her on a Saturday. And Count Raymond sol- 
emnly promised that he never would. 

All went well for a while. They were happy 
together, but the evil that the fair Melusina had 
done lived on. For as each child was born into 
the world, it was crooked and ill to look on. 
Yet this did not lessen Count Raymond’s love 
for the fair Melusina. All might still have gone 
well had not some one whispered to the count 
that it would be wise for him to see what Melu- 
sina was doing on Saturday. 

It was a foolish count. He became more and 
more curious, and at last one Saturday he hid 
himself where he could see, and not be seen, and 
thus he watched for Melusina in her chamber. 


THE FAIR MEL US IN A 


69 


0 pity of pities ! He saw her, the fair Melu- 
sina, but from the waist down she was a serpent, 
with silvery scales, tipped with white. He cov- 
ered his eyes. It was too late, and he was seized 
with horror, not so much at what he had seen as 
at the thought of how he had broken his faith. 

Perhaps he might yet have kept silence. But 
a great evil fell upon him. One of his sons had 
cruelly killed a brother, and Count Raymond was 
beside himself with grief. Suddenly he thought 
how all his children had been born crooked, and 
how it must have been because of some wicked 
thing their mother had done. And as he was 
thus weeping and wailing in the midst of his 
courtiers, the fair Melusina came in to comfort 
him. 

When he saw her, he burst into a rage, and 
cried out aloud : — 

“ Away ! out of my sight, thou hateful ser- 
pent ! thou wicked woman ! ” 

Down to the ground dropped the fair Melusina 
in a swoon ; and when she came to herself, she 
looked with sad eyes on her lord. She knew, then, 
that her time had come, and that she could not 
escape her punishment. The man she had been 
faithful to had not kept his word. 

“ Farewell ! farewell ! ” she moaned. “ Alas 


70 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


for the misery I am in. I had hoped that thou 
hadst been faithful, and that I might escape my 
doom. It may not be. The mortal in me dies, 
but in my fairy life I must forever fleet about 
the earth as a poor lost spirit.” 

And at that, with a little faint cry, her body 
fell again, but there was a rustling in the air as 
the fair Melusina set forth on her lone wander- 
ing. Count Kaymond and those about him saw 
her no more. But whenever in after years there 
was a new lord over the castle, the country folk 
said that she hovered about the Fountain of 
Thirst, a poor forlorn wraith. 


THE BEAZEN HEAD 


There was once a wise man named Roger 
Bacon. In his day the wise men were almost 
always members o£ some religious order, and 
Roger Bacon was of the order of Friars, and so 
came to be known as Friar Bacon. 

It was a time when learned men were trying 
to do all manner of vain things. They thought 
to discover some wonderful draught which would 
make men live forever. They tried to find some 
means by which they could turn lead or iron into 
gold, and they fancied there was a kind of powder 
which would do this ; this powder they called the 
Philosopher’s Stone. 

So they mixed all kinds of powders and liquids; 
they were forever at work over their charcoal 
fires, and as each one wished to be the great dis- 
coverer, they all worked in secret chambers and 
behind closed doors. 

Thus they came to be thought of as workers 
in magic, and people looked curiously at them, 
and were rather afraid of them. These wise men 
needed servants to fetch and carry for them, and 


72 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


they sometimes chose servants who were dull, for 
they did not wish any one who was near to them 
to know just what they did. 

Friar Bacon worked much in his cell, and he 
had a friend, Friar Bungey, whom he trusted. 
He had also a merry fellow for a servant, named 
Miles. Friar Bungey knew what Friar Bacon 
was doing, but Miles never bothered his head 
about his master’s work. 

Now Friar Bacon had a great love of England, 
his country. And as he read in old histories, he 
saw that more than once people had come across 
the waters and conquered England. He be- 
thought himself how he could defend the country, 
and thought if he could only build a great brass 
wall about England he could defend it. 

As he thought longer, this did not seem very 
possible ; and then he thought if he could station 
a brass man here and there, here and there, at 
points where soldiers would land ; and if he could 
make the brass man speak, he might defend it in 
this way, for anybody would be afraid who came 
near the coast and saw a brass man, and heard 
the brass man shout. 

So he and Friar Bungey set to work and made 
a Brazen Head. They fashioned jaws, and 
tongue, and teeth, and all other parts of the in- 


THE BRAZEN HEAD 


73 


side of a head, and set them carefully within the 
Brazen Head. But though there was everything 
with which to speak, the Brazen Head said never 
a word. 

They were sore perplexed ; they read and they 
studied, but could find out nothing. So then 
they did what the wise men of those days did 
when everything else failed. They went by 
night into a wood, and there all by themselves 
they called on the Evil Spirit to come out of the 
darkness and tell them what they were to do. 

I do not know why they should call on the 
Evil Spirit, and not on the Good Spirit, but that 
is the way the story runs. So after they had 
coaxed and threatened the spirit, they got this 
answer. They were to take six herbs, or simples 
as they were called, and make a hot fire and 
steam these simples till there was a strong fume, 
and this fume they were to let rise into the 
Brazen Head. 

This they were to do, and to watch the fume 
steadily. Some time or other, perhaps in a month 
or less, the fume would work and the Brazen 
Head would speak, and then they would know 
how it was done. 

So back to their cell went the two friars. 
They got the precious simples and steamed them, 


74 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


and watched the hot fumes night and day, night 
and day. But after about three weeks of this, 
they grew terribly sleepy, and though they tried 
to keep each other awake, it was plain that they 
might both be asleep when the Brazen Head 
should speak. That would never do ; so Friar 
Bacon called his servant Miles. 

“ Miles,” said he, “ sit you here and watch. 
This Brazen Head is about to speak, but Friar 
Bungey and I have watched so long that we must 
needs sleep. We look to you to take our place. 
Have no fear, but the moment you hear the 
Head speak, on that instant come quickly and 
wake us.” 

Miles was a faithful fellow, and he promised 
Friar Bacon he would do as he was bid. So the 
two friars lay down, and in a twinkling were fast 
asleep. Miles now was left to himself, and to 
keep awake he played on a fiddle he had and be- 
gan singing a song, which he made up as he 
went along. 

So he kept awake, and by and by there was a 
great rumble and quaking sound, and the Brazen 
Head opened its mouth and spoke just two words, 

Time is. 

“ W ell, well,” quoth Miles to himself, “ that’s 


THE BRAZEN HEAD 


75 


no news. I ’ll not wake master for that.” “ Go 
to, old Brazen Head ! ” said he aloud. “ Hath 
the great Friar Bacon worked at thee all these 
months, and this is all that comes of it? Time 
is ? I ’ll warrant thee, old Boy : — 

‘ Time is for some to eat, 

Time is for some to sleep, 

Time is for some to laugh, 

Time is for some to weep.’ ” 

So honest Miles sang to the tune of his fiddle, 
and made up verse upon verse, wagging his head, 
and laughing at that great Brazen Head. A 
half an hour more, and the mouth opened again, 
and there came forth the words, 

Time was. 

“Sure enough,” said Miles scornfully ; “and 
d’ ye think I would wake my master to tell him 
that great piece of news? Time was, indeed ! 
Away with ye ! 

‘ Time was when thou a kettle 
Wert filled with better matter : 

But Friar Bacon did thee spoil 
When he thy sides did batter/ ” 

And so did merry Miles sing to another jolly 
tune. 

Another half hour passed. Then there came 


76 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


a deep rumbling and grumbling sound, and the 
Brazen Head opened its mouth once more and 
clanged out, 

Time is past, 

and thereat it fell over on its face and brake all 
to bits. And there was a terrible noise, and 
there were great flashes of fire, so that poor Miles 
was half dead with fear. He dropped his fiddle 
and fell on his knees, and the room was full of 
smoke. 

Now the noise and the smoke were so horrible 
that Friar Bacon and Friar Bungey suddenly 
waked. They rushed into the cell, and there 
they saw Miles beating his breast and crying out, 
and on the floor lay the Brazen Head all in bits. 

“ What is this ! what is this ! ” cried Friar 
Bacon. “ What hast thou done ? ” 

“Sure, it fell down all of itself ! ” shouted Miles. 

“ And did he not speak ? Did he say no- 
thing ? ” 

“ Nothing at all, at all,” quoth Miles, “ but 
just some senseless words. A parrot could say 
more.” 

“ Out upon you ! ” said Friar Bacon, lifting 
his hand to strike the wretch. “If you had 
called us when it spake, we should all have been 
great men, for we should have done that which 


THE BRAZEN HEAD 


77 


would have saved England from all her foes. 
What did the Brazen Head say ? ” 

“ It just said, ‘ Time is/ the first time,” quoth 
Miles. 

“ Ah,” said Friar Bacon, 66 you have undone 
us. Had you called us then, we should have 
been in time. Did it speak again ? ” 

“ Ay, sir, that it did, half an hour afterward, 
and it just said, ‘ Time was.’ ” 

“ Woe, woe ! if thou hadst but called us then,” 
said Friar Bungey, shaking his head. 

u Sure, sir,” said Miles, “ I thought it would 
be telling some long tale, and then I would have 
waked ye, but it kept quiet for half an hour, and 
then it blabbed out, ‘ Time is past/ and fell down 
head first, and there was such a clatter that I 
had no need to wake ye. The old beast would 
have waked the dead.” 

Then Friar Bacon was wroth, and would have 
let his hand fall heavy upon poor Miles, but Friar 
Bungey told him it was a shame to strike such 
an ignorant man. So Friar Bacon withheld his 
hand, but he made Miles dumb for the space of 
a month, in punishment, though to be sure there 
was not much that Miles had to say. 

So nothing came of the Brazen Head, and 
England had to content herself with live men 
to guard her gates. 


LofC. 


THE MONK AND THE BIRD 


There was an old monk who Had led a holy 
life, doing good all his days. And one reason 
why he had done good was because he lived 
much with God. 

Early in the morning, before others had risen, 
he was on his knees praying to the Father of all, 
giving thanks for all his mercies, and asking for 
grace to lead a holy life that day. And late at 
night, when others slept, he lingered long on his 
knees, talking with God as with his dearest friend. 

Not only did this monk pray in the chapel, 
and by the side of his narrow bed, but as he 
walked about doing good deeds his lips moved, 
and he scarcely saw any one else, for he was pray- 
ing in silence. He was always glad to escape 
from himself to the thought of God. 

So when he was an old, old man, he was one 
day in the garden of the monastery. He was 
too old and feeble now to go away amongst the 
poor and sick ; but the poor and sick, young 
and old, were glad when they could come to 
him, and receive his blessing. 


THE MONK AND THE BIRD 


79 


It was a lovely morning hour in early summer, 
and the garden was sweet with odors of roses. 
The air was soft and still. The old monk had 
been helped out to a garden-bench, and there 
left. He was in perfect peace, and when he was 
alone he sank upon his knees by the bench, and 
lifted his peaceful soul in prayer and praise. 

As he prayed there came a sweet, pure note 
to his ear. It did not disturb him. He knew it 
for the voice of one of God’s happy creatures, 
and as he prayed, he listened with a smile to 
this bird singing in one of the rose trees in the 
garden. He thought he never had heard any- 
thing so liquid as the song of this bird. 

The notes so filled his soul that he rose from 
his knees to listen to the song. He rested his 
hands on his stout stick and listened. Then he 
drew near the rose tree from which the song 
came. 

As he drew near, the little bird continued sing- 
ing and then fled to a grove farther away, and 
again began calling with its sweet note. The 
old monk, forgetting everything else, eagerly 
pressed forward. It was as if he heard some 
bird of God. 

0 rapture ! he neared the bird again and heard 
the pure notes sounding clearer and clearer. 


80 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


Once more the bird filled his soul and he lis- 
tened, listened. Then away flew the bird, and 
led him by its song to a farther grove. Still the 
old man pressed on. 

Thus hour by hour the heavenly bird sang, 
and hour by hour the old monk listened intent. 
He would not lose a note. But at last the bird’s 
song grew gentler, until it ceased altogether. 
The day was nearing its close. 

Then the happy old man set his face westward, 
and made his way back toward the monastery, 
carrying the memory of the song which mingled 
with his prayer, so that he scarce knew whether 
he were praying or listening to the music. 

It was nightfall when he found himself once 
again within the garden ; but it was not yet dark, 
and in the evening light he looked about him at 
the old scene. He was perplexed at the appear- 
ance of things. There was the convent, there 
was the garden, and yet nothing looked quite as 
when he had left the place. 

As he stood wondering, a brother monk drew 
near. He wore the familiar dress, yet his face 
seemed strange. Well as our old monk knew 
all the brethren, this newcomer he could not re- 
member ever to have seen. But he must needs 
speak to him, and he asked : — 


THE MONK AND THE BIRD 81 * 

“ What has happened ? Why is it that every- 
thing looks so changed since morning ? What 
has taken place? But perhaps you have only 
just come. Is Brother Andrew within ? ” 

The monk looked at him as he spoke, and he 
wondered as he looked. “ Why,” said he, “ there 
has been no change here to-day, no, nor for 
many years. I have myself been here ten years 
come Michaelmas. There is no Brother Andrew 
amongst us. But you ? pray, who art thou ? and 
whence earnest thou ? This is the dress of the 
order, though * somewhat old, but I have never 
seen thee before ? What is thy name, good bro- 
ther?” 

The old monk, much wondering, told his name, 
and said further : “ It was only this morning, 
early this morning, that I left the garden, for I 
heard the song of a bird, and it was like a song 
let down from heaven to draw me up.” 

Now when the younger monk heard the name, 
he fell on his knees, and took the robe of the 
other in his hand, and bowed over it. Then he 
told him how it was written in the books of the 
monastery that a holy man of that name had 
strangely disappeared out of their sight two 
hundred years ago. 

u And it was written,” he said, u that like as 


*82 


THE BOOK OF LEGENDS 


the Lord God buried his servant Moses and no 
man knew where he was buried, so did he hide 
from our sight this holy brother.” 

At that, a smile spread over the face of the 
old monk, and he lifted up his voice and said : 
“My hour of death is come. Blessed be the 
name of the Lord for all his mercies to me,” and 
so he breathed out his spirit. 

Then all the monks in the monastery were 
called to witness this strange sight ; and the 
young monk who had held converse with the old 
man turned to his brethren and said : — 

“ God be merciful to me a sinner ! When 
this old man drew near to me I was thinking to 
myself, how can I bear the thought of an eter- 
nity of happiness ? shall I not weary of endless 
peace ? but lo ! our brother heard a bird of God 
for but a single day as he thought, and it was 
two hundred years. Surely a thousand years in 
His sight are but as yesterday, and as a day that 
is past.” 


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